I had different periods.

1- I was introduced to his music when Batman was released. Then I liked what he did up until Diamond and Pearls while researching his past work. I lost interested in the 1992-2000 time.

2- I then started frequenting Paisley Park and there again, I grew to like his new music. I really enjoyed Musicology and the work he did with Bria Valente but lost interest aftewards.

3- Then, I liked what he did with the 3eyegirls only recently.

Does this help? Not sure if I can put a "how long" but ....

From 1980 none stop. Seems a lot of other Prince fans have had time away from him and then come back. Is that just a Prince thing? All the bands and musicians i follow i stick with them through thick and thin. Did MJ fans have time from MJ and then come back, just curious.

Thirty-six years (since 1980).

1980 I saw him on the Midnight Special also on American Bandstand. I have been loyal and committed all these years.

29 years. Since the summer of '87, when an ex-friend sat me down and made me really listen to the entire "Sign 'O' The Times" album. That was when I saw the (purple) light.

Since he first came on the scene and I heard his voice on the radio, then I fell in love with him when I saw his face on the For You album.

1contessa said:

I sorta knew about "Soft and Wet", but very much in my peripheral vision. I found "I Wanna Be Your Lover" on a K-Tel record, Soundwaves, tucked in the middle of side one. Oddly, the album cover for Prince was on the back of the Soundwaves album (along with Robbie Dupree's).

Also on the record was great tracks like "Funkytown", "Upside Down", "I Was Made For Loving You" (Kiss), "Steal Away" (Robbie Dupree), "Do That To Me One More Time" (Captain and Tenelle), "Let's Get Serious", "Cupid", and more.

After that - the rest is history. I'm 48, so found him virtually at the beginning of his career. He's only 10 years older than me, so it really has been like a "growing up with" situation. Same with Janet, who is only 2 years older than me, Madge, & MJ.

Since I was born LOLOLOL. But I really got into him again when I was 9. Before he passed, there was not a day that went by that I didn't listen to his music. Glad I grew up with his music in my life.

1contessa said:

Since he first came on the scene and I heard his voice on the radio, then I fell in love with him when I saw his face on the For You album.

I love this! The fams that got to be there for the ride from the very beginning is so awesome. You guys are so blesssed. Prince has the most amazing fams...and always will.

Since I first heard "1999", somewhere in '82.

I was thirteen

Time flies...

LBrent said:

1contessa said:

Since he first came on the scene and I heard his voice on the radio, then I fell in love with him when I saw his face on the For You album.

Yup. I heard Soft & Wet on the radio in late '77-early '78. I was around 16. Geez that was a long time ago.

Lord, don't I know it, don't remind me.

Since he spun my head in mess in the early 80s. I remember being 11 or 12 years old at the time and sitting at home with my family watching tv and the IWBYL video came on. We were all shell shocked , parents too . He looked and sounded like NOTHING we had seen before.....

My Dad owned 'Dirty Mind' back in 1980. I was 10 and mainly dug Adam And The Ants (and still do too!). I resisted the "next best thing" hype with Purple Rain because by then I was an age 14 rebel. Going forward, I did like 'Raspberry Beret' but officially, I'd say i became a fan with 'Kiss' in '86 because i went out and bought the twelve inch myself. Then went back and got everthing.

I was 8 when Purple Rain came out, and I loved the soundtrack something fierce. My sister , the neighbor girl and I used to make up dances to Let's Go Crazy and Baby I'm a Star. Listened for the rest of the 80s (Prince occupied a special place in my musical heart, alongside the hair rock I was into at the time) and early and mid 90s.

Prince somewhat fell off my musical map until I met my husband in 2004. He's a huge Prince fan. I've dug most of what Prince has put out from Musicology forward.

Since 1982

I think, depending on my mood, the answer is '2long' or '4ever'.

I became a fam/fan at the age of 9 during the 1999 period. I listened to that album {yes album} all the time till I got Purple Rain for my bday. Back in those days Prince would always do a concert in Dallas around New Years, for the 1999 tour I couldn't go, for the Purple Rain tour my sister bought me a ticket but didn't take me. I took her to the Hit N Run 2000 show in Dallas-it was our only Prince concert together.

Since the Purple Rain era at the tender age of 7.

1983 when 1999 came out. I was 14.... ATWIAD sealed the deal!

1984 when I was in college..Prince was everywhere, even though he's only 1 year older than me, he seemed much older..when I was goofing off in college, he was becoming an international star...however I was a back and forth follower. Always interested in what he was wearing this year. There were years when I didn't buy any of his albums, so I have some catching up to do...Strange how devisating his death was to me..truly feels like I lost someone I've known for years..

[Edited 9/24/16 20:31pm]

zenarose said:

From the first time I saw the When Doves Cry video, my ears would perk up whenever I heard Prince. I was just a kid though , and for a long time you could only consider me a casual fan. Prince was always on my radar but it wasn't until right after my college years that I began to delve deeper into his catalogue and also saw him in concert for the first time, in 1997. It just grew from there.

[Edited 9/24/16 22:05pm]

From Lovesexy album